The service stair bursts open beneath the Merchant’s chambers, carrying Lilly and Mara into the room before either can retreat. The Merchant stands behind the scarred desk, rifle trained across the short distance.
Mara
Don’t shoot. We came through the service stair, and we are leaving this camp.
The Merchant
Mara. Lilly. How convenient that you arrive together, carrying my captain’s rifle and keys.
The ledger lies open beside a folded map. Fresh ink cuts across the map in a route that avoids the camp gates, written in a hand neither woman recognizes.
The Merchant
You were not meant to see that route. Someone has been moving people through my blind spots, and now you walk in through one.
Mara
Keena brought us to the barracks. She will not be following us. Lower the rifle, and nobody needs to make this worse.
The generator rattles beneath the floor. The Merchant’s finger stays near the trigger while his eyes shift between Mara, the exposed map, and Lilly, waiting for the next move.
✓ Quest Accepted
Take the Merchant's map
✓ Quest Accepted
Escape the compound
“I want that map, and I want my freedom from you.”
FAILURE (Superb Willpower, rolled +0)
Lilly
I want that map, and I want my freedom from you.
The Merchant
You want what belongs to me, while standing in my chambers with my rifle and keys. No.
The Merchant snatches the map from the desk and folds it against his chest. The rifle remains trained on Mara, forcing the room’s balance back toward him.
Mara
Then give us a way out, Majjet. You know this camp is already compromised.
The Merchant
You mistake a discovered route for leverage. Lilly remains mine, and you remain an escaped possession.
As he turns the folded map, one corner opens briefly. Lilly sees a red mark beside the old water tower and the words service culvert, an alternate path beneath the outer fence.
The Merchant steps sideways, putting the desk between himself and the stair while keeping the rifle raised. The map stays in his grasp, but the newly seen route offers a clear choice beyond his chambers.